The present invention relates generally to receptacles and containers, and particularly relates to a caseless dispenser container used for transporting, storing, and dispensing fluids. The invention finds particularly particular application with fluids introduced or subjected to elevated temperatures relative to the filling temperature of the fluid into the container, such as cooking oil or similar comestible products, although it may also find application with noncomestible fluid products.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,050,455; 6,068,161; and 6,247,507 are commonly owned by the assignee of the present application. These patents relate generally and specifically to the concept of thin-walled containers, and the disclosures of each are hereby expressly incorporated herein. For example, thin-walled containers which are defined as having a ratio of plastic resin required to manufacture the container relative to the amount of product capable of being transported in the container. A typical thin-walled container of this type has a weight-to-volume ratio of approximately 55 to 70 grams per gallon (approximately 18 to 24 grams per liter).
In shipping and storing bulk fluid products, plastic molded containers are commonly used and are blow-molded, one-piece containers. These containers are usually stored or shipped in a separate case that receives individual containers or may enclose multiple containers such as a set of four (4) to six (6) containers. These cases adopt various different configurations or conformations such as wire or plastic cases, corrugated paper boxes, or other corrugated materials, which provide desired structural support to the individual containers during shipping. For example, and as shown in FIG. 1, a blow-molded plastic container is received in a corrugated box for storage, shipment, and handling. Since the corrugated case is intended to carry or receive the structural load or bearing forces during storage and shipment, little design effort has heretofore been undertaken to address structural concerns of a container without the use of separate cases, i.e., caseless shipping containers.
Another common use for containers in cases is to store and ship cooking oil. Historically, and as briefly noted above, these containers are used in conjunction with a corrugated or cardboard case so that vertical loading of one container to the other is transferred through the cases. As will be appreciated, part of the manufacturing/total cost of the shipping assembly is associated with the corrugated case. The use of the case allows less resin to be used in the plastic container, although the design of the assembly (container and associated case) is intended to transfer structural forces via the corrugated material and not the container.
These known arrangements encounter a number of problems, for example, stacking height of one container on top of another is limited. Long, unbraced lengths are encountered. In addition, if the corrugated material becomes wet, e.g., if a container leaks or moisture from the environment permeates the corrugated case, the structural strength and integrity of the corrugated case can become a serious problem. There are also potential food storage issues associated with any leakage of oil.
Still another issue with a container and case assembly used in storing and shipping cooking oil, for example, is that the oil is typically filled at a temperature above ambient, on the order of approximately one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (100° F.). Oil is less dense at the elevated temperature. The containers are usually filled to the base of the neck and then over time and as the oil cools, the fill level decreases. This results in a large air gap in prior art containers. In order to ship a desired amount of oil when it is filled at an elevated temperature, the vendor must use a container of increased height to accommodate this phenomenon.
Once the container is filled, it is sealed with a cap, such as a screw-on or threaded cap. Typically, a lesser quality, less expensive model is used since some of the cost in the prior art arrangements is directed to supplying the corrugated case. If the sealed container is exposed to an increase in temperature, for example on the order of one hundred ten degrees (110° F.) while sitting in a truck in a hot environment, the increase in internal pressure could cause the lesser quality cap to leak. As will be appreciated, this only exacerbates the situation of contaminated product, as well as moisture problems and decreased strength associated with the prior art corrugated case and container assembly.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide a container, preferably a caseless container that resolves these problems and others in an inexpensive, efficient, and reliable manner.